Tennis aces are selling off victory

The practice of tennis players 'selling' a win to their opponent has been uncovered in a probe looking at match-fixing on the ATP Tour.

It is claimed players have rolled over so that those desperate to progress in tournaments can secure valuable ranking points.

Sources close to the inquiry into Nikolay Davydenko's match with Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello at this year's Poland Open reveal the findings. These are thought to include the equivalent of the winner's purse being handed over, plus extra cash to ensure co-operation and secrecy.

Those who play frequently can afford to lose early rounds without affecting their standing because only the best 18 tournament finishes over a 12-month period count towards a player's ranking on the men's tour.

The anti-corruption unit, soon to be unveiled, will look at this situation.

In a separate development, the boss of the women's world tour has also revealed that numerous players have been approached to throw matches.